Biosolids/Residuals Program Excellence Awards

Recognizing Excellence in Biosolids Management

David W. York Reuse Awards

The FWEA Water Resources, Reuse and Resiliency (WR3) committee honors utilities, customers and organizations for the commitment developing, using and maintaining exemplary reuse programs.

David W. York Water Reuse Project of the Year Award

Recognizes a reuse project that advanced reclaim water as an alternative water supply

David W. York Award Less than 5 MGD

Utilities who maintain exemplary Reuse Programs

CITY OF LAKE CITY’S RECHARGE WETLAND SYSTEM

MARCO ISLAND UTILITIES RECLAIMED WATER PRODUCTION FACILITY

The City of Lake City converted their largest sprayfield into 120 acres of infiltrating constructed treatment wetlands with the goal of reducing nutrient loading to Ichetucknee Springs.

The $5.3 million project was a partnership with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Suwannee River Water Management District, and Columbia County. 

The City of Marco Island’s Reclaimed Water Production Facility is a 4.9 MGD treatment plant paired with Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR).

Marco Island reclaimed nearly 90% of its treated effluent for irrigation while supplementing with stored stormwater during dry periods, conserving potable water and preserving aquifer levels on the Island

David W. York Award 5 – 15 MGD

Utilities who maintain exemplary Reuse Programs

David W. York Award Greater than 15 MGD

Utilities who maintain exemplary Reuse Programs

Earl B. Phelps Awards

Recognizes facilities across Florida for the best operated wastewater treatment plant and highest removal of major pollution-causing constituents

Earl B. Phelps Award Secondary Honorable Mention

Earl B. Phelps Award Secondary Runner Up

Earl B. Phelps Award Secondary 1st Place

BROWARD COUNTY NORTH REGIONAL WWTP

JEA MONTEREY WRF

POLK COUNTY UTILITIES SUN RAY WWTF

95 MGD Regional Facility, with 11 Large Users, serving 35% of Broward County

Producing high quality effluent and reuse, while rehabilitation and construction for the future is underway

Leading municipality in regional collaborations for Biosolids Management

• Secondary WWTF consisting of  Sequencing Batch Reactors (SBR) and UV disinfection to treat up to 3.6 MGD

• Plant operators continually fine-tune the SBR controls and consistently deliver exceptional effluent quality 

• Monterey’s Effluent quality averaged: <2 mg/L cBOD, 2.5 mg/L TSS and 1.6 mg/L Nitrates

• Secondary WWTF consisting of an Extended Aeration DAVCO wastewater treatment plant

• Through process optimization, the plant reduced energy use and consistently produces high quality effluent.

• Phelps Award winner in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023

• Sun Ray’s Effluent quality averaged: <2 mg/L cBOD, 1.0 mg/L TSS and 3.2 mg/L Nitrates

Earl B. Phelps Award Advanced Secondary Less than 5 MGD Honorable Mention

Earl B. Phelps Award Advanced Secondary Less than 5 MGD Runner Up

Earl B. Phelps Award Advanced Secondary Less than 5 MGD 1st Place

TOWN & COUNTRY BABCOCK RANCH WRF

CITY OF NORTH PORT SOUTHWEST WRF

POLK COUNTY UTILITIES SOUTHWEST REGIONAL WRF

Babcock Ranch is a planned community and utility designed to be the most sustainable town in the United States

The facility currently utilizes a 4-stage Bardenpho process with Hollow Fiber Membrane Bioreactors (MBR) to treat up to 0.75 MGD

Exceptional operations and process control contributed to an Annual Average Effluent TN of 1.6 mg/L

• Advanced Secondary WRF rated for 2.0 MGD which utilizes a Public Access Reuse system and Class I Deep Injection Well for effluent disposal

• Staff have implemented a structured asset management and maintenance program to strengthen lifecycle management, risk assessment, and performance monitoring of critical infrastructure

• The facility produced effluent with an annual average effluent values of 4.2 mg/L TN 

• 4 MGD Advanced Secondary WRF with a carousel process with separate anoxic zones that utilizes ORP aeration control 

• Back-to-back Phelps Award winner and recipient of multiple FDEP Excellence Awards

• Great operations and process control produced an annual average Effluent Total Nitrogen of 3.3 mg/L in 2024.

Earl B. Phelps Award Advanced Secondary Greater than 5 MGD Honorable Mention

Earl B. Phelps Award Advanced Secondary Greater than 5 MGD Runner Up

Earl B. Phelps Award Advanced Secondary Greater than 5 MGD 1st Place

LEE COUNTY UTILITIES FT. MYERS BEACH WRF

LEE COUNTY UTILITIES THREE OAKS WRF

CITY OF CAPE CORAL SOUTHWEST WRF

• Advanced Secondary WRF with a Modified Ludzack Ettinger activated sludge process, secondary clarifiers and deep bed filters that can treat up to 6 MGD

• The facility is undergoing many improvement projects to improve treatment and resiliency

• Despite these challenges the plant maintained 100% compliance and produced excellent effluent quality in 2024

• The facility utilizes oxidation ditches, secondary clarifiers and deep bed filters

• Three Oaks is staffed by 7 operators and two trainees with a combined 100+ years experience

• Three Oaks recently expanded from 6 to 9 MGD. During the expansion, the plant added treatment to allow the plant to meet the AWT requirements, even though it is not required by permit.

• The facility utilizes the A20 process, clarifiers and sand filters to treat a design capacity of 15 MGD

• The staff goes above and beyond and performs numerous maintenance and SCADA projects in-house

• The plant produced exceptional effluent in 2024 with average effluent TN of 4.0 mg/L

Earl B. Phelps Award Advanced Wastewater Treatment Honorable Mention

Earl B. Phelps Award Advanced Wastewater Treatment Runner Up

Earl B. Phelps Award Advanced Wastewater Treatment 1st Place

CITY OF TALLAHASSEE T.P. SMITH WRF

LEE COUNTY UTILITIES FIESTA VILLAGE WRF

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY NORTHWEST REGIONAL WRF

• 26.5 MGD AADF facility with a modified five-stage Bardenphoactivated sludge process

• The City is focused on  achieving the highest standards of nutrient removal to preserve our environment and natural treasures like Wakulla Springs

• The plant produced effluent in 2024 with average TN of 1.4 mg/L and TP of 0.13 mg/L

• 5.0 MGD facility consisting of two oxidation ditches, clarification with alum and denitrification

• Rated for 5.0 MGD and utilizes Public Access Reuse system and surface water discharge to the Caloosahatchee River for effluent disposal

• The facility produced annual average effluent values of 0.8 mg/L TN and 0.05 mg/L TP

• Northwest Regional recently expanded to a 30 MGD Five-Stage Bardenpho Process in 2020

• The facility is powered by 5.5 Mega Watt Natural Gas-Powered Turbine

• A new state of the art dewatering facility was recently constructed and the biosolids are used to make compost

• The plant produced effluent in 2024 with average effluent TN of 1.4 mg/L and TP of 0.2 mg/L

Environmental Stewardship Award for Odor Control

Exceptional Odor Control Program

Golden Manhole Award

Recognizes individuals that have made outstanding contributions to the Collection System Industry

Leroy H. Scott Award

Exceptional Contribution to FWEA by an Operator

Ralph H. Baker Award

Outstanding Work in Membership Recruitment

ADRIELL SHRIKISSOON, P.E.

Young Professional of the Year Award

Recognizes an Outstanding FWEA Young Professional Member

ANGEL VILLARRUEL-MOORE, MS ENVE

A professional at Carollo with experience in the design of wastewater treatment, conveyance systems, and potable reuse

Active volunteer with FWEA’s Central FL Chapter and S&YP Committee

Organized student and university outreach events in the greater Orlando

Safety Awards

Utilities who maintain exemplary safety programs

Safety Award Class C 3rd Place

Safety Award Class C 2nd Place

Safety Award Class C 1st Place

Safety Award Class B 3rd Place

Safety Award Class B 2nd Place

Safety Award Class B 1st Place

Maintains an extensive safety plan

SOPs are created to complete all tasks safely with proper PPE

All employees receive CPR, First Aid, and AED training

Safety Committee meets on a monthly basis to help minimize potential accidents

The Gateway WRF has a great safety record, with no reportable injuries in 2024

Advanced Secondary Water Reclamation Facility which treated 1.483 billion gallons (4.064 MGD) in 2024

Staffed by 7 operators and two trainees with a combined experience of over 100 years

Currently at the end of plant expansion to increase capacity from 6 to 9 MGD

Added advanced treatment even though it was not required by permit

6,550 hours worked with no recordable injuries

All employees complete monthly training

7,372 hours of Safety Operations & Training in 2024 for wastewater operators at Toho Water Authority

Safety Award Class A 3rd Place

Safety Award Class A 2nd Place

Safety Award Class A 1st Place

17,300 hours worked with no recordable injuries

All employees complete monthly training

7,372 hours of Safety Operations & Training in 2024 for wastewater operators at Toho Water Authority

25,000 hours worked with no recordable injuries

All employees complete monthly training

7,372 hours of Safety Operations & Training in 2024 for wastewater operators at Toho Water Authority

Located in Palm Beach Gardens, Fl 

12 MGD, zero discharge, reuse facility, irrigating an area of nearly 2,700 acres   

Biosolids transferred to SWA Biosolids Pelletizer Facility

Public Education Awards

Promotion of Environmental Awareness and Public Outreach

Thomas T. Jones Award

Promotion of Environmental Awareness and Public Outreach

Offers free WaterSense-certified plumbing retrofits and rebates for smart irrigation technology to help residents reduce water use and save money—resulting in nearly 2 million gallons of annual water savings

Plans water related public outreach events in Tampa Bay Region and internationally

Helped undergraduate students start a Student Energy Chapter at the University of the West Indies

Serves as co-chair of the Annual West Coast Water Festival 

Active Board member of Learning Gate Community School supporting water-related curriculum and activities

Utility Management Awards

Recognizes Utilities for Operational Performance Excellence

Utility Management Award Population Served Less than 100,000

CITY OF FORT MYERS

Provides essential services to nearly 100,000 residents across 49 square miles

Created a dedicated Public Utilities Department in 2021 to revital aging infrastructure

Embraced digital transformation to harness the wealth of data generated by daily operations

Utility Management Award Population Served Greater than 100,000

BROWARD COUNTY WATER & WASTEWATER SERVICES

Dedicated to continuous Improvement and Benchmarking

 Leads Regional Collaborations

 Effective Utility Management

 Maintains Quality of Life in Broward County

Wastewater Collection System of the Year Awards

Recognizes utilities for significant accomplishment in the operation and maintenance of wastewater collection systems

Small Collection System Award

Medium Collection System Award

Large Collection System Award